Professional development activities may benefit employees and the University by improving
job skills, updating job knowledge, and facilitating useful exchanges of information.
Therefore, it is the policy of Western Carolina University to encourage employees'
participation in job-related conferences, workshops, seminars, and other worthwhile
professional development activities.

Employees may request to attend conventions, workshops, and other such meetings either
in pursuit of personal interests or on official University business. Inasmuch as personal
business is not under the purview of the University, employees who earn leave must
apply for and be granted annual leave or leave without pay when their attendance at
a meeting is for personal interests. (Since faculty members on nine-month appointments
do not earn annual leave, their absences are subject to the leave provisions in the
WCU Faculty Handbook, section 4.09.01.)

Professional development activities may be undertaken in official business status
when administrative unit heads make the following determinations:

Attendance at a conference or workshop has a clear relationship to improved job performance
or professional development of the employee in his or her University employment.

The absent employee's duties can be covered satisfactorily.

If travel is required, an approved travel authorization has been filed in advance
of the trip.

Travel and registration expenses for professional development activities may be paid
wholly or in part by the University, subject to applicable State and University policies
governing such expenditures. The administrative unit head or other designated supervisor
is responsible for determining whether funds are available for this purpose. If the
University does not pay the expenses, the employee may still travel in official business
status at personal expense if the administrative determinations previously outlined
are made.

Meetings of political parties, religious bodies, lobbying organizations, labor organizations,
and civic and fraternal organizations are normally construed to be directed primarily
to personal interests rather than to official University business. Employees who want
to be absent from work to attend these meetings, unless named by the Chancellor or
his designee as official representatives of Western Carolina University or otherwise
on approved official business, must apply for and be granted annual leave or leave-without-pay
and must pay their own expenses. (Nine-month faculty are subject to the leave provisions
in the Faculty Handbook as previously noted.)

The policies set forth herein apply to all Western Carolina University personnel.